Boy, haven't we all seen our share of overflowing sinks? Then again, I think it's inherent in the inefficiency of human endeavor. People aren't machines, and it seems like whenever you get a number of them together and bureaucracy grows, then more sinks will overflow. We just can't seem to overcome the flaws of human nature.
And I agree that denial is virtually impossible to overcome, not to mention frustrating to no end.
I agree, there is a certain degree of utilitarianism involved in any functioning society, but it does have a callous quality to it, and I'm guessing that nobody likes the idea of their value going down. Then again, it's something we experience, to varying degrees, in our everyday lives through our jobs and relationships.
Even still, it makes you wonder when things like this occur to seemingly accomodate the passage of policy that might not otherwise have been economically feasible in terms of human life.
I am getting no stimulus check because my W-2 has my first and last name and my social security card has my middle name on it as well so because all three names did not apear on my w-2 they say it doesn't match up.My husband and daughter do not get anything either because of this.It literally makes me sick to my stomach the idiocy of it all.
You can actually do the frozen banana thing with any fruit. Pineapple and papaya slices are particularly good, or thread three or four strawberries, grapes, chunks of kiwi, etc. on a wooden skewer, dip in chocolate and freeze.
Another thing my son just loves is fruit pops. Just chop up whatever fruit you have and dump it in a bowl, oranges, bananas, apples, grapes, etc. Make all the pieces fairly small (non-choking size!) and then add a little orange juice if needed. You could also mix this with plain yogurt. Scoop into paper cups, add a stick and freeze. Super yummy and 100% healthy.
Make cream cheese strawberry pops by putting a spoonful of strawberry jam in the bottom of each mold, then blending 1 part cream cheese with 1 part plain yogurt . . . add some honey or sugar if you think it needs sweetening. Pour this into the molds and presto! you have a really, really yummy treat.
Im not paid to endorse this book, but really, whether you want to be a savvy businessman or just aware into manipulative tactics in order to survive in the workplace, take a look at "The 48 laws of power" by Robert Greene, practices such as giving hints to your workers, promising vaguely etc is everywhere, media, big and small corporations, sound machiavelic and that's the way the world is run....
I can totally relate to the mopping situation with the sink overflowing, since recently I went through such a situation at work, in a project where all the instructions seemed wrong and out of place, yet we had to keep mopping, enduring offensive attitudes from both the client and our boss, long-hours that included weekends with no extra pay, yet most of the team kept going for the stupidity of a paycheck and those who could go by without the paycheck were hypnotized with "commitment" to your job.....definitely having savings and a debt free lifestyle are the best and sure way to allow freedom from a mopping job....
and that it becomes a moneymaker for the doctors(creating more definitions of mild illnesses that expensive therapy or drugs can mitigate! not better social communication ties or better herbal supplements to promote mental health?)
and pharmaceutical companies in making sure we are medicated than to address our social ills from social isolation, overwork for barely maintained living , media inspired stress for never ending want/consumption of exaggerated living standards, jobs and activities that inspire no self worth nor allow time to follow spiritual growth and worth building endeavors. That's my opinion.
this is how it works
you choose your school and apply for funding
funding can be a private or federal loan---
either way, the schhol is only helping you get the loan in order to enroll you in their school--they arent lending you the money
there is a lender on private loans--that's who you contact for all payment info...not the school
federal loans have a lender in addition to a federal guarantor--ie texas guarantee, national student loan program, etc
you the student once you get the loan, correspond with your lender,,,,,,,not the school..most times the "clerks" at the school arent knowledgeable on the whole process,,,,,,if you borrow money from a bank, why would u call someone else about your bill,,u wouldnt, contact the lender on your contract, not the school
the student never waits or ignores their contract..first of all read your contract,,,there are lots of fees including compounded daily interest and up to 25% collection costs added to your bill which can easily double or even triple your bill,,,depending on how loan its been defaulted, how long its been since the original date of contract,
you can never use the excuse that no one has contacted you on this until now,,,its the students responsibility to contact who they owe, remember you had no problem taking the steps to get the loan and it is up to u to take the steps to pay your bill......
remember most students have different addresses by the time you grauate or stop going to school, make sure you keep all creditors (especially federal loans) updated on your info,,,,how can they send you anything on this if you dont update with them directly of any add changes..dont depend on postal service for updating address,, the postal service only keeps records ofyour change for y6 months and simply forwards mail for 6m onths once you report add change to them,,,,you must must must contact each creditor yourself,,the postal service p acket includes this form...
from a collector of federal back student loans,,,,always keep file updated, never wait to hear from someone on your bill, and never direct your questions or concerns regarding your contract with anyone but the lender and possibly the guarantor of the loan,,,schools are trying to fill the seats, not help you beyond that point and most of the time they dont know what they are talking about,,, face the contract you signed and pay it,,,it will escalate in balance, fury, and lower your credit score,,,disability cks ssi and retirement and irs funds can and will be garnished on defaulted loan,,yes even ssi and disability since clinton in around 1991..
and never let an agency tell you that the only way to pay is by ck on the phone,,,,,mail money orders with some type of return reeceipt,,, if you mail a ck, some agencys will send you a letter stating that they will begin deducting from the acct info on the bottom of your ck,,,,,yes,, ive seen it,,,,mail a money order and kee p a large file to keep your contract and any and every letter of correspondence, pymts, record your calls if you can, and know the fair dept collections practices act////know your rights, but remember, the lender also has a right to get their money,,,whether you graduate, get kicked out of school, end of in jail or pregnant while in school,,you will still have to py back unless you get it in writing right then and their,,dont let the school say they will mail proof you withdrew from school and arent obligatedf to debt because most of the time its simply not the case, the guidelines in the withdrawal portion of the school handbanks lays this out in detail,,,again read everything you sign and remember if you sign you pay,,and dont get a plus loan with grandma and think you wont have to pay it back, if you promise grandma or whoever you will pay the loan if they sign, be sure you do,,otherwise grandmas disability cks ssi etc cn and will be garnished,period, no if ands or buts,,,,,if you do this to the primary on the plus loan, you are affecting their very limited income,,
i could go on and on about this, been doing student loans a long time,,,,and have heard and seen it all,,but just remember a contract is a contract whether you get a job with your ed or not,,a signature means you will pay it back period,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
A great analogy. I think more people would be willing to walk away from futility and madness in a job if they had more resources. Having enough savings to get you through a long job search and medical insurance separate from your job would be highly useful but most don't have that. I think job freedom is probably one of the best motivators for not living paycheck to paycheck. Having savings also cushions the blow from a layoff.
I well understand the temptation to behave like a crazy person, if there's someone who will pay you large amounts of money to do so. (In fact, even small amounts of money can be very tempting, if that's what it takes to make the difference between getting by and not.)
It took me years to realize just how much harm it does to go along with that, which is one reason I try to talk about this--maybe I can save other people a few years of suffering.
great post. some weeks ago i spoke about this little trick and my readers found it amazing. I tried it myself and despite it didnt improved a lot my internet connection i think i can surf 10% faster
feel free to visit my site http://www.webtlk.com
Can Moon Sand get wet?
Moon Sand repels water, and can actually float! This enables the artist to incorporate water into their sculpture without any damage. Use water in any creative way you want like creating a moat around your castle creations.
It seems like many rich individuals do have mental health problems. They have no social life besides what they do because this is what they love.
I sometimes feel like the mop in your analogy. I do feel like I need to start rationing things a little differently at work. If anything it would make me feel a little bit better if I am able to take more responsibility.
i was told that i was hired for my present job because of my utterly odd portfolio. they wanted someone with some graphic abilities and all i had was a photobucket page of wacky montages i'd done for a photoshop class. despite this being a fairly conservative organization and there is absolutely no cause for me to use surreal photo illustrations in anything i'm doing, i think the oddness and humor of them appealed to the inner rebel of the hiring guy.
also, he asked me what i'm interested in learning next, probably expecting me to name some software program, and i blurted out "kickboxing." i have no idea why i said this but he just couldn't get over it. i thought i'd completely blown the interview.
After graduating and being unemployed hemorrhaging money sporadically to pay off school loans and credit card debt I sat down with an old mentor who provided me with some great advice.
"When the economy is in a recession and you can count on the job market to be crawling up, you have two options. You can either travel or go back to school. In todays market the reward for learning a second language like Mandarin is much higher than the business school you can afford right now."
So I am off to Hebei, China to teach for a year and attend grad school at the same uni.
i think for a lot of people, it isn't prettiness they're after so much as YOUTH. job hunting after a certain age, and in certain youth-dominated fields, you really are at a disadvantage. and so many people are trying to launch second (or third or fourth) careers in midlife, i can understand why they'd want to appear younger. it's especially stupid when you consider that careers now are longer than they used to be ... a new career begun at 50 is not going to necessarily end in ten years time but could well go on deep into a second decade.
that said, i totally want to have my teeth whitened. :-)
I knew a guy who was in the Navy for a couple years. He told me about a guy who was a barely functioning idiot, but got promoted quickly because he did what he was told.... Exactly what he was told.
Bathrooms are known as heads (I don't know why, but I've heard it many times) to military types. One day the CO told my buddy's friend to "go paint the head". So, the guy got some gun metal grey paint, and proceeded to paint his own head. To some, this guy was a great employee because he unquestioningly did as he was told. To others, he was merely a source of ridicule because he gave the appearance of not being able to think for himself.
He would be mopping away, even if he was going to drown.
This is super interesting, and of course putting a value on human life is absolutely crucial to creating public policy. We _could_ have a perfectly clean environment, perfectly safe cars and roads, unlimited healthcare, etc....but we'd run out of resources and bankrupt ourselves. You've got to have a really unpleasant number in there somewhere that allows you to figure out how efficiently your tax dollars are being spent.
It's used for good and bad...even corporations need to have a dollar figure to figure out what their safety margins are. You can never make a perfectly safe product, and safety correlates very strongly to cost in a lot of products (cars, planes, etc). From the government's perspective, it needs to know how much a taxpayer is willing to spend to get a quality of life improvement.
Of course, it's still hard to think about someone 'putting a value on human life' but that's exactly what any engineer is doing when he designs a bridge.
The "tax advantage" of a mortgage has been WAY oversold.
If you do the math, you always end up sending more money to the bank than you would have sent to the government.
For example, consider a mortgage where your annual interest payment to the bank is $10,000. In this scenario you could take a $10,000 tax deduction -- on the surface that sounds like a good deal. However, if you did not have a mortgage and you are in the 30% tax bracket (plug in your own percentage), the taxes you would pay on $10,000 are $3,000. So, with the mortgage "tax advantage" you are paying the bank $10,000 to save from paying the government $3000. In other words, with a mortgage you are trading $10000 for $3000 -- this is not a good deal.
In fact, if you want the same "tax advantage" as a mortgage, you can give money to your favorite charities (and not to a bank!!). The tax deduction for donating to a charity is exactly same as mortgage interest.
Boy, haven't we all seen our share of overflowing sinks? Then again, I think it's inherent in the inefficiency of human endeavor. People aren't machines, and it seems like whenever you get a number of them together and bureaucracy grows, then more sinks will overflow. We just can't seem to overcome the flaws of human nature.
And I agree that denial is virtually impossible to overcome, not to mention frustrating to no end.
I agree, there is a certain degree of utilitarianism involved in any functioning society, but it does have a callous quality to it, and I'm guessing that nobody likes the idea of their value going down. Then again, it's something we experience, to varying degrees, in our everyday lives through our jobs and relationships.
Even still, it makes you wonder when things like this occur to seemingly accomodate the passage of policy that might not otherwise have been economically feasible in terms of human life.
I am getting no stimulus check because my W-2 has my first and last name and my social security card has my middle name on it as well so because all three names did not apear on my w-2 they say it doesn't match up.My husband and daughter do not get anything either because of this.It literally makes me sick to my stomach the idiocy of it all.
You can actually do the frozen banana thing with any fruit. Pineapple and papaya slices are particularly good, or thread three or four strawberries, grapes, chunks of kiwi, etc. on a wooden skewer, dip in chocolate and freeze.
Another thing my son just loves is fruit pops. Just chop up whatever fruit you have and dump it in a bowl, oranges, bananas, apples, grapes, etc. Make all the pieces fairly small (non-choking size!) and then add a little orange juice if needed. You could also mix this with plain yogurt. Scoop into paper cups, add a stick and freeze. Super yummy and 100% healthy.
Make cream cheese strawberry pops by putting a spoonful of strawberry jam in the bottom of each mold, then blending 1 part cream cheese with 1 part plain yogurt . . . add some honey or sugar if you think it needs sweetening. Pour this into the molds and presto! you have a really, really yummy treat.
why the blak cat to imply evil? it is so medieval to use an animal to portray human emotions or feelings
Im not paid to endorse this book, but really, whether you want to be a savvy businessman or just aware into manipulative tactics in order to survive in the workplace, take a look at "The 48 laws of power" by Robert Greene, practices such as giving hints to your workers, promising vaguely etc is everywhere, media, big and small corporations, sound machiavelic and that's the way the world is run....
I can totally relate to the mopping situation with the sink overflowing, since recently I went through such a situation at work, in a project where all the instructions seemed wrong and out of place, yet we had to keep mopping, enduring offensive attitudes from both the client and our boss, long-hours that included weekends with no extra pay, yet most of the team kept going for the stupidity of a paycheck and those who could go by without the paycheck were hypnotized with "commitment" to your job.....definitely having savings and a debt free lifestyle are the best and sure way to allow freedom from a mopping job....
and that it becomes a moneymaker for the doctors(creating more definitions of mild illnesses that expensive therapy or drugs can mitigate! not better social communication ties or better herbal supplements to promote mental health?)
and pharmaceutical companies in making sure we are medicated than to address our social ills from social isolation, overwork for barely maintained living , media inspired stress for never ending want/consumption of exaggerated living standards, jobs and activities that inspire no self worth nor allow time to follow spiritual growth and worth building endeavors. That's my opinion.
this is how it works
you choose your school and apply for funding
funding can be a private or federal loan---
either way, the schhol is only helping you get the loan in order to enroll you in their school--they arent lending you the money
there is a lender on private loans--that's who you contact for all payment info...not the school
federal loans have a lender in addition to a federal guarantor--ie texas guarantee, national student loan program, etc
you the student once you get the loan, correspond with your lender,,,,,,,not the school..most times the "clerks" at the school arent knowledgeable on the whole process,,,,,,if you borrow money from a bank, why would u call someone else about your bill,,u wouldnt, contact the lender on your contract, not the school
the student never waits or ignores their contract..first of all read your contract,,,there are lots of fees including compounded daily interest and up to 25% collection costs added to your bill which can easily double or even triple your bill,,,depending on how loan its been defaulted, how long its been since the original date of contract,
you can never use the excuse that no one has contacted you on this until now,,,its the students responsibility to contact who they owe, remember you had no problem taking the steps to get the loan and it is up to u to take the steps to pay your bill......
remember most students have different addresses by the time you grauate or stop going to school, make sure you keep all creditors (especially federal loans) updated on your info,,,,how can they send you anything on this if you dont update with them directly of any add changes..dont depend on postal service for updating address,, the postal service only keeps records ofyour change for y6 months and simply forwards mail for 6m onths once you report add change to them,,,,you must must must contact each creditor yourself,,the postal service p acket includes this form...
from a collector of federal back student loans,,,,always keep file updated, never wait to hear from someone on your bill, and never direct your questions or concerns regarding your contract with anyone but the lender and possibly the guarantor of the loan,,,schools are trying to fill the seats, not help you beyond that point and most of the time they dont know what they are talking about,,, face the contract you signed and pay it,,,it will escalate in balance, fury, and lower your credit score,,,disability cks ssi and retirement and irs funds can and will be garnished on defaulted loan,,yes even ssi and disability since clinton in around 1991..
and never let an agency tell you that the only way to pay is by ck on the phone,,,,,mail money orders with some type of return reeceipt,,, if you mail a ck, some agencys will send you a letter stating that they will begin deducting from the acct info on the bottom of your ck,,,,,yes,, ive seen it,,,,mail a money order and kee p a large file to keep your contract and any and every letter of correspondence, pymts, record your calls if you can, and know the fair dept collections practices act////know your rights, but remember, the lender also has a right to get their money,,,whether you graduate, get kicked out of school, end of in jail or pregnant while in school,,you will still have to py back unless you get it in writing right then and their,,dont let the school say they will mail proof you withdrew from school and arent obligatedf to debt because most of the time its simply not the case, the guidelines in the withdrawal portion of the school handbanks lays this out in detail,,,again read everything you sign and remember if you sign you pay,,and dont get a plus loan with grandma and think you wont have to pay it back, if you promise grandma or whoever you will pay the loan if they sign, be sure you do,,otherwise grandmas disability cks ssi etc cn and will be garnished,period, no if ands or buts,,,,,if you do this to the primary on the plus loan, you are affecting their very limited income,,
i could go on and on about this, been doing student loans a long time,,,,and have heard and seen it all,,but just remember a contract is a contract whether you get a job with your ed or not,,a signature means you will pay it back period,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
A great analogy. I think more people would be willing to walk away from futility and madness in a job if they had more resources. Having enough savings to get you through a long job search and medical insurance separate from your job would be highly useful but most don't have that. I think job freedom is probably one of the best motivators for not living paycheck to paycheck. Having savings also cushions the blow from a layoff.
I well understand the temptation to behave like a crazy person, if there's someone who will pay you large amounts of money to do so. (In fact, even small amounts of money can be very tempting, if that's what it takes to make the difference between getting by and not.)
It took me years to realize just how much harm it does to go along with that, which is one reason I try to talk about this--maybe I can save other people a few years of suffering.
great post. some weeks ago i spoke about this little trick and my readers found it amazing. I tried it myself and despite it didnt improved a lot my internet connection i think i can surf 10% faster
feel free to visit my site http://www.webtlk.com
I prefer reading "Men's Health" or "Esquire" because they do not contribute to my inferiority complex the way women's magazines do.
This is from the Moon Sand faq site:
Can Moon Sand get wet?
Moon Sand repels water, and can actually float! This enables the artist to incorporate water into their sculpture without any damage. Use water in any creative way you want like creating a moat around your castle creations.
http://www.moonsandkits.com/faq.php
The problem is that for some people it's hard to leave what they know. For example, this system administrator in San Francisco who has been driven insane is still trying to keep his job by locking out everyone else: http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article4350711...
There is always the fear of having nothing to live on. So we put up with insane bosses and become more crazy in the process.
It seems like many rich individuals do have mental health problems. They have no social life besides what they do because this is what they love.
I sometimes feel like the mop in your analogy. I do feel like I need to start rationing things a little differently at work. If anything it would make me feel a little bit better if I am able to take more responsibility.
i was told that i was hired for my present job because of my utterly odd portfolio. they wanted someone with some graphic abilities and all i had was a photobucket page of wacky montages i'd done for a photoshop class. despite this being a fairly conservative organization and there is absolutely no cause for me to use surreal photo illustrations in anything i'm doing, i think the oddness and humor of them appealed to the inner rebel of the hiring guy.
also, he asked me what i'm interested in learning next, probably expecting me to name some software program, and i blurted out "kickboxing." i have no idea why i said this but he just couldn't get over it. i thought i'd completely blown the interview.
goes to show.
After graduating and being unemployed hemorrhaging money sporadically to pay off school loans and credit card debt I sat down with an old mentor who provided me with some great advice.
"When the economy is in a recession and you can count on the job market to be crawling up, you have two options. You can either travel or go back to school. In todays market the reward for learning a second language like Mandarin is much higher than the business school you can afford right now."
So I am off to Hebei, China to teach for a year and attend grad school at the same uni.
i think for a lot of people, it isn't prettiness they're after so much as YOUTH. job hunting after a certain age, and in certain youth-dominated fields, you really are at a disadvantage. and so many people are trying to launch second (or third or fourth) careers in midlife, i can understand why they'd want to appear younger. it's especially stupid when you consider that careers now are longer than they used to be ... a new career begun at 50 is not going to necessarily end in ten years time but could well go on deep into a second decade.
that said, i totally want to have my teeth whitened. :-)
I knew a guy who was in the Navy for a couple years. He told me about a guy who was a barely functioning idiot, but got promoted quickly because he did what he was told.... Exactly what he was told.
Bathrooms are known as heads (I don't know why, but I've heard it many times) to military types. One day the CO told my buddy's friend to "go paint the head". So, the guy got some gun metal grey paint, and proceeded to paint his own head. To some, this guy was a great employee because he unquestioningly did as he was told. To others, he was merely a source of ridicule because he gave the appearance of not being able to think for himself.
He would be mopping away, even if he was going to drown.
I hear you. About to jump ships for this issue.
But why are so many of the amazon products at jungle crazy CONDOMS?
VERY GOOD summary of the issues!
We've owned our home for over a decade now with no mortgage and for us, it's the only way to go.
This is super interesting, and of course putting a value on human life is absolutely crucial to creating public policy. We _could_ have a perfectly clean environment, perfectly safe cars and roads, unlimited healthcare, etc....but we'd run out of resources and bankrupt ourselves. You've got to have a really unpleasant number in there somewhere that allows you to figure out how efficiently your tax dollars are being spent.
It's used for good and bad...even corporations need to have a dollar figure to figure out what their safety margins are. You can never make a perfectly safe product, and safety correlates very strongly to cost in a lot of products (cars, planes, etc). From the government's perspective, it needs to know how much a taxpayer is willing to spend to get a quality of life improvement.
Of course, it's still hard to think about someone 'putting a value on human life' but that's exactly what any engineer is doing when he designs a bridge.
The "tax advantage" of a mortgage has been WAY oversold.
If you do the math, you always end up sending more money to the bank than you would have sent to the government.
For example, consider a mortgage where your annual interest payment to the bank is $10,000. In this scenario you could take a $10,000 tax deduction -- on the surface that sounds like a good deal. However, if you did not have a mortgage and you are in the 30% tax bracket (plug in your own percentage), the taxes you would pay on $10,000 are $3,000. So, with the mortgage "tax advantage" you are paying the bank $10,000 to save from paying the government $3000. In other words, with a mortgage you are trading $10000 for $3000 -- this is not a good deal.
In fact, if you want the same "tax advantage" as a mortgage, you can give money to your favorite charities (and not to a bank!!). The tax deduction for donating to a charity is exactly same as mortgage interest.